This date is Black Poetry Day, established in 1985. An unofficial American holiday celebrates past and present poets like Langston Hughes, Phyllis Wheatley, Frank X. Walker, Elizabeth Alexander, and Maya Angelou.
An American city, state, or federal government does not officially endorse this day. Still, it has gained fame and grown because of its importance in Black heritage, literacy, and community meaning. Schools and the general public are asked to spend this day appreciating Black authors and spreading the word of Black poets through friends, family members, and the world.
The birth of Black Poetry Day may have started as an anniversary of the first published African American poet, Jupiter Hammon, who was born into slavery in 1711 on Long Island. With the birth of the Harlem Renaissance, which was alive from about 1924 to 1929, Black Poetry continues to be a day of celebration of Black poets, past and present.
